Illinois lottery imposes new budget-driven payment delays on prizes

The cash-starved Illinois lottery lowered the boom even harder on its players on Wednesday, saying anyone with a winning ticket worth $600 or more will face delays collecting prizes until the state's long-running budget impasse ends.

Since July, the state has not been making timely payments to players who have won $25,000 or more, triggering a class-action lawsuit in federal court last month against Republican Governor Bruce Rauner's administration.

The state lottery department indicated it had to lower the payout threshold even more because there has been no break in the budget fight between Rauner and Democrats controlling the state legislature.